[Pathfinder] Spell Point Magic System

[KhaineGB]

So I asked some of my RL friends for input on this... and they were exceptionally useful as per always (read as: not even slightly). As there are quite a few people here that like to homebrew stuff, I figured I'd throw my idea on the boards and have you guys pick it apart so I can refine it.

The basic idea is this. I'm currently writing a campaign world for Pathfinder (I fully intend to share it once I've got more done), but I wanted the magic slightly different from what's presented in the CRB. I dislike the fact casters are limited to x spells per level/day. I feel it's a little restrictive and I like to try and give my players choices.

So, with reading the 3.5 Unearthed Arcana, and playing a little DDO... I decided "Why not have a spell point system instead?". Onto the basic idea!

All spellcasters will get Spell Points instead of Spells per day. You get 1 point per level of spell you can cast. So a level 1 wizard would get 1 point, a level 3 would have 4 (2 level 1 spells = 2 points + a level 2 spell = 4 points). How you use those points is entirely up to you. Want to cast 4 level 1 spells? Go for it! Two level 2's? Fine! The idea is to allow maximum versatility for casters, since I feel they are a little lacking in that area.

Now, there are a couple of points I'm planning to put in so this doesn't become exceptionally overpowered and broken. Wizards and clerics would still need to memorize their spells. Essentially, they set their "spell list" every day. Sorcerer's obviously pick their spells while they level up... that is their spell list they draw from. Wizards and Clerics will be able to cast spells from their "spell lists" as many times as they want... just like a Sorcerer can currently. However, this obviously makes the Sorcerer rather underpowered, so the following changes would be implemented:

• Sorcerer's gain double the spell points of a wizard (They're raw powerhouses to make up for the small spell list)
• Sorcerer's can apply metamagic feats on the fly. Wizards/Clerics still need to memorize as a higher level
• Sorcerer's will also gain double spell points from high ability scores. Wizards/Clerics will not.

Spells cost spell points equal to their level. So level 1 costs 1, level 9 costs 9. Metamagic feats, either memorized or applied on the fly, still increase the level of the spell, and thus the spell points used. So, a Wizard memorizing an Empowered Fireball would memorize it as level 5 (taking up one of those slots in their per day spell list), and it'd cost 5 points to cast. A Sorcerer can apply this feat on the fly, but it would still cost them 5 points.

Sorcerer's will not be able to apply metamagic feats to increase the power of a spell beyond a level they can cast. For example, a 6th level Sorcerer cannot cast level 5 spells, so an Empowered Fireball is right out! ;)

I'm currently preparing a table of how the spell points would work per level, but that's the basic idea. Pick apart please! This is something I would very much like to do for my campaign world, but I want to try and make it as balanced as possible.

EDIT: As you can see, I'm currently basing this off normal classes in the CRB. PrC's are not being considered atm, nor are additional classes in other books... like the Oracle. Please bear that in mind for the moment since I want to get the core system into a decent state before I worry about anything else. :)

[AttilaTheGeek]

It's actually incredibly powerful. Even if you didn't buff Sorcerers at all, it lets casters trade out 1st and 2nd level spell slots for some more ones that they'd use in higher slots. Also, if it's applied to a party that believes in the "15-minute Adventuring Day", then it'll let a caster spam all their highest-level spells all the time and wreck the melee in DPR output.

[KhaineGB]

That was exactly the sort of response I was hoping to get.

Honestly, I've been a bit concerned about how much damage it could put out vs melee classes. A level 20 wizard could basically cast 20 level 9 spells before they run out of spell points... which... yeah. Bit sick and wrong!

Thankfully I don't do the 15 minute adventure day unless the party get -very- lucky on random encounters while travelling. Most of the time 1 session when I'm DM'ing is either a day, or half a day.

May have to go back to the drawing board on this one.

[The-Mage-King]

Just use DSP's Psionic rules, and refluff. Problem solved. The Psionics Expanded book has a lot more stuff, like a ranger analogue and so on. Even with just the 4 on the page I linked, it's got plenty of content. Psy-War for paladin-ish, vitalist for healer, psion for wizard, wilder for sorc... So easy to convert.

[TuggyNE]

Better yet, adapt Ernir's Vancian to Psionic conversion.